The end of an era. Shooters Waterfront Cafe, aka The Waterline, Bombers, and Bootleggers, is being torn down to the concrete slab. This will improve the view until someone finally figures out how to exploit this amazing location. (I say keep the ferry dock, replace the marina, and add a casual shore dinner style eatery with wine and beer.) Some background from Art in Ruins:
Shooter’s, part of a national chain of casual waterfront dining and dancing venues, was in a three-story building that could accommodate nearly 1,600 patrons. The 25,000-square-foot complex featured dockside dining, a waterfront pool, bars inside and outside, a top-floor restaurant and a 90-slip marina. One of its incarnations included a boat valet. It cost $6 million to build in 1990.
The Department of Environmental Management (DEM), who purchased the site on India Street in 2010 through a recreation bond, has leased it to the DOT to serve as the Providence terminal of the Seastreak ferry service. The parking lot is being repaved during the demolition which, according to the ProJo, should take take about a week.
If you have any memory of this time and place, I urge you to go read the comments at Art in Ruins! For instance, Rich B shared this:
I would cruise up to shooters in my 31ft cat race boat and tie up alongside the the 30 or 40 cigarette type boats there, they would valet your boat!!!! on a Saturday and Sunday afternoon for the bikini and wet tshirt competition, the girls were hottest around, there was nothing could touch it in the 80s or 90s on the intercoastal, We all would party hard always full.
Yup, that sounds about right. (I think it will be clear to those who have ever seen me that I am not the “Beth” mentioned by Craig L.)
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View from the slowly sinking dock in 2011.
